Month: February 2017

When you think of the term “love fund”, your first notion of it would probably be similar to a “honey fund.” A honey fund is a certain amount of money set aside for you and your spouse to use to buy one another little gifts, surprise them with a special date, etc. While that is a wonderful idea and loving your spouse in this way is important, it is not the direction we are going with our love fund.

During the month of February, the Pearson family is committing to a Zero-Spending month. This challenge is in step with Ruth Soukup’s “31 Days of Living Well and Spending Zero.” We are finally doing it!

I know, you’re thinking, “Wait…what does that mean? That sounds scary.”

It is. Especially for me–the spender of the family. But I am also very excited.

During the whole month of February, we are cutting out all unnecessary spending in order to save as much as possible. All unnecessary spending includes the following:

Clothing

Trinkets, decorations, craft supplies, baking supplies, etc.

Restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream shops, etc.

Dates and Childcare

Entertainment

Household items

Not only will we be cutting those items out, but we will be limiting our grocery budget and toiletries to the bare minimum and using what we have on hand (our pantry and freezer is full of stuff that needs to get eaten). We will still be responsible adults and pay all of our bills, our mortgage, and insurances. We will still have internet and phone service. We are just cutting out the purchasing of unnecessary things.

I will repeat that I am very excited about what this commitment means. While I may not be excited about not being able to get buy a coffee or go out to lunch on a whim this month, I am excited for what we can do with the money we save. With the money we save, we would like to put some towards vacations, some towards celebrating our 5th anniversary this year, and some towards Corra’s 2nd birthday. But a portion of it will be used to start an exciting project: our LOVE FUND.

Our LOVE FUND will be used to love our neighbors (actual neighbors, friends, church family, strangers, and family) as Jesus taught us. This fund will be used to pay for a friend’s lunch because I love her. This fund will be used to buy a card and flowers for friend who just lost a loved one. This fund will be used to make a church family a couple meals after they have welcomed a new baby. This fund will be used to buy supplies and make gifts for those we would like to thank. This fund will be used to buy Gatorade, crackers, chicken noodle soup, and tissues when a friend is sick (I have had two friends do this for me already this winter. They are so awesome). This fund will be used to send a special gift to a long-distance family member who is going through a hard time. This fund will be used to buy a meal for a lonely stranger at the intersection.

We want God to use this fund for His glory. All of our money is His, and we especially want this fund to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are praying that the Holy Spirit will move us to action when the time is right. I have often been afraid to help someone out because I would think to myself, “I would love to help out, but we will go over our budget if I help in that way.” I am not saying that you have to have money in order to love your neighbor. That is unbiblical and untrue. But being wise stewards of our money, giving it away, and using it to love others is definitely Biblical:

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

We have always had a desire to love others the way we have been loved. In our marriage, we have had friends buy us dinner, give us special gifts for no reason, buy us groceries when we are sick, and give us flowers for a special event in our lives. We want to love others in similar ways too. Someday, it is our hope to pay off our house, and save, save, save, so that we can give, give, and give some more (high five Dave Ramsey!). We just simply didn’t want to have to wait until we are 60 to be able to start loving others with the money God has blessed us with. That is why we are starting a small now and hope to grow our love fund in the years to come.

I had the pleasure of being on the launch team this past fall for a wonderful book called “Listen, Love, Repeat” by Karen Ehman. It is filled with an abundance of creative ways to love your loved ones and the people you encounter in every day life. Our love fund is a culmination of a lot of inspiration I gained from her book.

And for the next two weeks, the She Reads Truth community is going through a study called “Making Room,” which studies passages in the Bible that center around hospitality and loving your neighbor. It has been encouraging to read about why God wants us to show love to our neighbors and to answer the question, “who is my neighbor?” with Jesus as the focal speaker.

Josh and I are both excited for this challenge (Josh especially because he would prefer to do this every month!). Will you take it with us? What can you cut out this month to start your own little love fund? Feel free to share below!

To God Be the Glory Forever,

Sierra Leanne

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